Scotch Plains & Fanwood: Have you ever thought about how New Jersey was created? Perhaps you’ve wondered about how East and West Jersey came to be? Or you’ve considered how life changed for landowners as the American Revolution intensified? The way the state developed before, during and after the revolution, including some of its distinctive features that still remain today, is fascinating. At the monthly meeting of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood on Tuesday evening May 22nd, these significant topics like New Jersey’s role in politics, transportation, trade and agricultural on the eve of the revolution will be explored.

Our teacher and guide for this interesting program will be Jonathan Mercantini. He is the Acting Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Associate Professor of History at Kean University where he has taught since 2007. He also serves as the Co-Director of the History Honors Program. He teaches a wide variety of courses: Colonial and Revolutionary America, Pirates in the Atlantic Work and the Civil War and Reconstruction to name just a few. Prior to his appointment at Kean he taught at the University of Miami and Canisius College. He has also taught at Princeton University. He earned his Ph.D. in American History from Emory University.

Professor Mercantini has numerous major publications. His most recent in 2017 is The Stamp Act of 1765. His current research projects include: Make History @ Kean: William Livingston’s World—an exploration of the 18th Century Atlantic World funded by a Humanities Initiatives Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2014 he worked with the New Jersey Historical Commission to plan activities for the 350th Anniversary of New Jersey. He received Emmy Nominations from the New York Region and the Mid-Atlantic Region for his work on It Happened Here—New Jersey a weekly series on NJ History topics featured on NJ Public TV and online.

This engaging meeting by a popular speaker is made possible by funding from the NJ Council for the Humanities. It is free and open to everyone. The meeting starts at 7:30PM on Tuesday May 22nd at Shady Rest of Scotch Hills Country Club on Plainfield Avenue & Jerusalem Road in Scotch Plains. Refreshments and fellowship follow the meeting.

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Founded in 1972, we currently operate the historic Osborn Cannonball House in Scotch Plains, while providing guest lectures at its monthly meetings and taking care to preserve some of the historic artifacts and legends from the area’s early days.